Chuck.



No. 893,959. V EATENTED JULYzl, 1908.

. I. A. WEAVER.

CHUCK.

APPLI'GATEON FILED EEB.12, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. I. A. WEAVER.

CHUCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1906. Y

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I No. 993,959.

IH t1 PATENTED JULY 2l, 1908.

a smnTs-SHEBT s I. A. WEAVER.

CHUCK APPLICATION FILED 212.12, 190s.

M W M @D www IRA A. WEAVER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

CHUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed February 12, 1906. Serial No. 300,699.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention concerns chucks for holding tools and aims to improve such mechanisms so that the tools can be inserted and firmly held in place or removed from the chuck while the latter is rotating at full speed. My improved construction accomplishes this object without any complicated structure and without the use of springs, which in devices of this character are found to be more or less unreliable when subjected to ordinary machine-shop usage.

The new chuck includes a main hollow body with a plurality of cam tracks on its interior, a cage or skeleton frame within which is mounted a number of rollers angularly spaced apart and ada ted to cooperate with the shank of the too inserted in the mouth of the chuck and with the cam tracks, a tightening and a releasing sleeve each equipped with a crown gear, both of which mesh with and operate a small pinion on a transverse screw, and a traveling nut on the latter operating to shift the retaining cage relative to the chuck body and cam tracks so as to cause the rollers to grip or release an inserted tool.

The ease with which the cage and rollers may be removed from the chuck for cleaning without disturbing the other elements forms a feature of my invention as does also the journaling of the cage at both of its ends.

My improved form of cage is also provided with a species of ball-bearings wherein the balls may be readily removed from or inserted in the race-track but from which they cannot ordinarily escape. In connection with the operating transverse screw and its traveling nut I employ positive stops to limit the travel of the rollers on the cam tracks and to prevent tightening of the screw threads on the screw and nut.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two preferred embodiments of my invention, like reference characters on all the figures referring to the same parts.

Figure l is an external view of one form of chuck showing a drill inserted therein; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the' chuck with a portion of its shank cut away; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the main chuck body; Fig. 4 is a view of the roller retaining cage or skeleton frame; Fig. 5 is a to end view of the same with thepin and balls removed; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the cage with its balls and 4pin in place; 7 is a view of the pin intended to be inserted in the cage and which coperates with the traveling nut on the transverse screw; Fig. 3-is an end view of the upper operating sleeve; Fig. 9 is a central longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 10 is a transverse section of the chuck showing the actuating screw with its end pinion and traveling nut; Fig. 11 is a transverse section through the chuck on line 11-11 Fig. 1,showing the cam tracks on the interior of the chuck body, the roller retaining cage, and the rollers; Fig. 12 is a view of the u per end of the chuck with the screw threaded ring removed showing the coperation of the stops; Fig. 13 is an end view of the chuck with the end ring in place; FiO. 14 is an external view of a modied form oi? chuck employing a friction ring for o erating the gear sleeves Fig. 15 is a central ongitudinal section of the chuck illustrated in Fig. 14; and Fig. 16 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of a chuck of the type shown in Fig. 15 equipped with the square stop mechanism of Figs. 2, 9 and 12.

The main chuck body 20 is cylindrical on its outer surface but is of greater diameter at one end than at the other, and on its interior is provided with a plurality of (in the present instance three) fluted cam tracks or guideways 2l, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 11. On the interior of the chuck body and near its central portion is an annular curved surface 22 on which travel the balls of the cage to be described hereinafter. The upper end of the chuck body, as viewed in Fig. 3, is provided with a tapered aperture 23 within which is adapted to tightly `lit a shank 24. Near its upper end chuck screw threaded at 25, and near its central portion is shouldered at 26. At its lower end it is internally screw threaded at 27 The hollow roller retaining cage or skeleton frame 30 (Figs. 4 and 11) has at one end a journal 31 and at its other end an annular under-cut recess 32 adapted to accommodate the balls 33 which form a part of the ballbearing for that end of the cage. The size of the balls and the under-cutting of the slot are body 20 is externally such that the balls cannot fall out of the slot but nevertheless they can be readily removed in another manner.

In the ball-bearing end of the cage is a longitudinal hole 34 of a diameter slightly larger than that of the balls and intersecting the ball race-way 32, about one-half of the hole 34 being nearer the axis of the cage than the innermost part of the ball race-way, this construction being clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. To introduce the balls into the race-way they are passed through the hole 34 which communicates with the race-way and afterwards a pin 35 is inserted in the hole thereby retaining the balls in place. The portion 36 of this pin which would project into the race-way is cut away as at 37 to correspond to the contour of the ball slot and form a part thereof, the pin being sufficiently long so that when in place its end 35 protrudes beyond the end of the cage. A lurality of angularly spaced longitudinal s ots v38 are provided in the cage, the slots eX- tending from its outside to its hollow interior. Afiuted roller 39 is adapted to be inn serted in each one of these slots, the same being prevented from falling through the slots inwardly because the latter are somewhat narrower at their inner than at their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 11. The rollers 39 are of greater diameter than the thickness of the cage thereby permitting them to co'- operate on the outside of the cage with the fluted cam tracks 21 and in the inner' side of the cage to grip the inserted tool. rllhe cage, its rollers, and other parts are adapted to be inserted in the mouth of the chuck body 20, the balls 33 coperating with the curved surface 22 while a screw-threaded ring 40 is adapted to be threaded in the aperture 27, its center recess 40a forming a bearing for the journal 31 of the cage. It should be noted that this cage is rotatably mounted within the chuck and that when rotated in one direction the gripping rollers 39 are caused to travel on the cam tracks to force the rollers inwardly thereby firmly gripping the inserted tool. When the cage is turned in the opposite direction the rollers due to the cooperating eccentric cam surfaces are permitted to move outwardly thereby freeing the tool.

Rotatably mounted transversely of the reduced portion of the chuck body 20 is a screw 41 having at one end a pinion 42 seated against the fiat surface 41a and being supplied on the interior of the chuck body with a traveling nut 43 slotted at 44. The other end of the screw is fastened to a shouldered bushing 45 revolubly secured in the chuck body. It will thus be apparent that if the screw is turned by means of pinion 42 its nut 43 will be caused to travel transversely of the chuck body. Since the rojecting pin 35 of the cage fits in slot 44 o the nut, 1t will be apparent that by turning screw 41 cage 30 may be also rotated causing the inward or outward movement of gripping rollers 39.

Mounted on the.. reduced portion of the chuck body are two rotatable sleeves 46 and 47 having crown gears 48 and 49, respectively, facing each other and meshing with the sides of pinion 42. Sleeve 46 abuts against shoulder 26 of the chuck body and the ring 50 which forms a part of the sleeve fits tightly over its reduced portion 51. Band or ring 52 is similarly attached to sleeve 47 and the outer surfaces Vof the bands and sleeves are knurled as shown in Fig. 1. The outer end face of the sleeve 47 is provided with two concentric annular recesses 53 and 54, the latter of lesser diameter than the former. Sleeve 47 is provided with a stop pin 55 which projects longitudinally of the sleeve into the recess 53 as shown in Fig. 9 and the crown gear 49 has a longitudinal aperture 56 as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. On chuck body 20 and projecting radially into recess 54 of sleeve 47 is a stop 57 shown in Fig. 12. Cooperating with stops 55 and 57 are two curved loose members or traveling stops 58 and 59, the former fitting in recess 54 and rojecting longitudinally of the chuck sufliciently to engage either end of the stop 59 which fits in recess 53 and overlaps recess 54. The end mouth of sleeve 47 is normally closed by an internally threaded ring 6() which screws upon the threaded portion 25 of the chuck body.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming that all the parts are in their proper positions, that the gripping rollers are free to move, and that a drill or other tool has been inserted in the mouth of the chuck between the rollers, then by grasping sleeve 47 and holding the same stationary while the machine rotates the chuck proper the transverse screw is caused to turn owing to the rotation of its pinion which meshes with crown gear 49 of sleeve 47. Sleeve 46 owing to its gear connection with sleeve 47 is caused to turn forwardly faster than the chuck body itself is rotating. The turning of screw 41 causes its nut 43 to travel longitudinally of its screw and transversely of the chuck body and the movement of the nut is transmitted through pin 35 to the cage causing the latter to rotate and compelling the gripping rollers to travel up the cam surfaces or tracks until they are forced inwardly sufficiently to tightly grip the inserted end of the drill or other tool. The fluting of the parts prevents their slipping on one another. As soon as the drill has been tightly grasped by the rollers the sleeve 47 rotates within the operators hand.

Vhen it is desired to release the drill the operator grasps sleeve 46 without stopping the rotation of the machine and by holding the same stationary he turns screw 41 through the means of pinion 42 so that nut 43 travels backwardly turning the cage so as to allow the gripping rollers to expand outw wardly and release their hold on the drill. This holding of sleeve 46 because of the gears causes sleeve 47 to turn in the reverse direction or forwardly.

v The operation of the stops is as follows Assuming that the rollers are near the end of their travel on the cam tracks and at the oute ward limit of their expansion with the stop 55 engaging stop 57 through the means of the intermediate stops or members 58 and 59, the four coperating sto s preventing further movement of the rollldrs and preventing the screw threads of the screw and nut from binding, then when the operator holds sleeve 47 while the chuck turns, stop 57 moves away from the others but upon completing its first revolution it engages stop 58 and carries that along with it during its second revolution, while during the third revolution it carries both stops 58 and 59 with it the former engaging the latter and when the latter on the completion of the third revolution of the chuck strikes stop 55 further movement of the roller jaws is impossible. The band is thus stopped and the screw and nut have not become bound together. If durin this action the rollers have engaged and gripped an inserted tool of course the three revolutions are not com leted. By holding releasing sleeve 46 tige parts are brought to their original position again, the square stop limiting the movement of the rollers and of the screw and nut.

If it is desired to remove the cage and rollers for the purpose of cleaning they may be readily slipped from the interior of the chuck body by unscrewing and removing the threaded annulus 40 with a Spanner wrench. When one wishes to remove sleeve 47 and the movable stops the threaded annulus 60 is taken off allowing the removal of these stops. Slot 56 in sleeve 47 permits the removal of the latter over stop pin 57.

In Figs. 14 and 15 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention which in many respects is like that described above, but in this embodiment I employ a friction ring to coperate with the oppositely rotating gear sleeves, and I omit the ball bearing although the latter may be used if desired. The frictional connection between the friction band and either sleeve is secured by merely sliding the former a limited extent longitudinally of the chuck. The gripping mechanism, transverse screw, traveling nut,

' and intermeshing gears are the same as in the device already described, but each sleeve 61 and 62 is provided with an external conical friction surface 63 and 64 respectively, the surfaces being oppositely disposed as indicated in Fig. 15. A friction band 65 knurled on its outer surface and having conical recesses in each end to fit over the conical surfaces 63 and 64 is mounted on the sleeves. In case itis desired to hold the upper sleeve from rotary movement while the chuck pro er is revolving the operator grasps band 65 s ides the same toward sleeve 62 until he secures a good frictional engagement between the two and then holds the band and sleeve from rotation thereby causing the tightening of the gripping rollers upon the inserted tool. To operate sleeve 61 so as to loosen the rollers the band 65 is moved longitudinally of the chuck to secure a frictional engagement betweenthe same and sleeve 61, the two then being held from rotation as described above. Because of the absence of the ball bearing in this particular device the pin 35a differs from pin 35 in that it has no side recess or groove 37.

Fig. 16 illustrates a chuck like that of Fig.

mechanism de- 15 sup lied with a square top scribe above to revent binding of the nut on the screw. n this figure the various parts have been supplied with reference characters like those of the other figures with the index a The main features of my invention are the means for preventing the gripping rollers from falling inwardly through the cage, the journaling of the cage at each end, the screw operating mechanism for turning the cage relatively to the cam tracks, the tightening and loosening sleeves geared together and to the screw, the friction band which may be moved to secure an operative engagement between the same and either sleeve, and the square stop for preventing binding of the nut on the screw.

Minor mechanical changes may be made in the structure described above without departing from the substance of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Certain features disclosed in this applica tion for patent are fully set forth and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 212,741, filed June15, 1904.

I claim:

1. A chuck having a main chuck body, a plurality of gripping members and a rotatable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, said cage having a journal at each end within said main body, substantially as described.

2. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable'cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the ren verse movement of said cage, a sleeve, and gear mechanism connecting said sleeve and cage whereby the former operates the latter by means of said gear mechanism, substantiallyI as described.

3. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning' or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including a sleeve and screw threaded mechanism connecting said sleeve and cage whereby the former operates the latter by means of said screw threaded mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including plurality of sleeves geared together, substantially as described.

5. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including a plurality of sleeves and means connecting said sleeves together whereby when either sleeve is rotated in one direction the other is rotated in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

6. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including tightening andreleasing sleeves each provided with a gear and an intermediate pinion meshing with said gears, substantially as described.

7. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including tightening and releasing sleeves and a friction band adapted for frictional operative engagement with either of said sleeves, substantially as described. A

8. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping `members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, and a cage operating mechanism including tightening and releasing sleeves each provided with a gear, an intermediate pinion with which said gears mesh, and a friction band adapted for frictional operative engagement with either of said sleeves, substantially as described.

9. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with a plurality of cam tracks with which said gripping members cooperate, and a cage o erating mechanism comprising gripping anc releasing sleeves each having a ta ering friction surface and a slidable friction band provided with coperating friction surfaces, said band being adapted for operative frictional engagement with either of said sleeves, substantially as described.

10. In a chuck, rality of members to grip a tool, a cage for receiving and spacing apart said members, a rotatable screw, a nut traveling on said screw, and connecting means between said nut and said cage whereby the turning of the screw causes the nut to travel and the movement of the latter actuates the cage and gripping members, substantially as described.

1l. In a chuck, the combination of a plurality of tool gripping members, a movable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage moves' in one direction and permitting said members to move outwardly to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, a pin projecting from said cage, a rotatable screw, a nut traveling on said screw, said pin engaging a slot in said nut, whereby the traveling of the latter causes the movements of the cage, substantially as described.

12. In a chuck, rality of tool gripping members, a rotatable cage for positioning or spacing apart said members, a pin projecting from said cage, a chuck body provided with means for forcing said members inwardly to grip the shank of a tool as said cage is moved in one direction the combination of a 'pluthe combination of a plulWELI' anddpermitting' said members to move outy to release the tool on the reverse movement of said cage, a rotatable screw, a

slotted nut traveling on said screw, said pin 5 engaging said slot,

a pinion on the end of said screw, and an operating sleeve provided with a gear meshing With said pinion, substantially as described.

13. In a chuck,

10 loW chuck body,

the combination of a hola cage having tool gripping members removably held in said chuck body, and an annulus Jtting in the mouth of said chuck body adapted to retain said cage in the chuck body and form a bearing therefor, substantially as described.Y

IEA A. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

WALTER M. FULLER, L. F. MCOREA. 

